


The Great Zoo Adventure

by sassy_cissa



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-05
Updated: 2010-07-05
Packaged: 2018-08-19 08:22:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8197735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassy_cissa/pseuds/sassy_cissa
Summary: Draco is convinced that a day at the zoo with Teddy will prove that he and Harry are ready to be parents. Harry isn't quite as sure.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from SeparatriX, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Hex Files](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Hex_Files), which was closed for financial and health reasons. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Hex Files collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thehexfiles/profile).

Disclaimer: Don't own them....never did.  
Warning(s): absolutely none...unless you need to be warned for five-year-olds and fluff.  
Epilogue compliant? Not in this lifetime – Draco still has his hair.  
Word Count: 3,400  
Author's Notes: This was written for the hd_smoochfest on LJ.

This story was born out of a trip to NYC where we lost our son...three times in five days. Someday I may tell you about it... it's an amusing little tale.

The Great Zoo Adventure

"No I really don't think it's a good idea, Draco." Harry shook his head as he spoke.

"It's brilliant and you know it," Draco countered slipping off his tie and pulling a jumper over his shirt. "You're just in a snit because you didn't think of it first."

"I am not _in a snit_!" Harry protested, his forehead creasing in a frown. "I just don't agree with you on this one."

"Too late," Draco said with a smile. "Andromeda will be dropping off Teddy in about thirty minutes. So you need to buck up and change into something more appropriate."

Harry sighed. "You hate the zoo. I don't see how taking Teddy there will show us if we're ready to be parents."

"Let me explain it to you," Draco said with an air of long suffering patience. "We've had Teddy at the flat for an afternoon." 

Harry nodded.

"We've even had him spend the night. But this...this is an opportunity for us to have him out of a controlled situation." 

Harry's brow furrowed and he wrinkled his nose in apparent confusion. "And this is a good plan because..."

"Oh for Merlin's sake!" Draco huffed. "We'll be with other people. Muggles. Small children, running amok. If we can manage to have a good time and entertain Teddy through all that, it stands to reason we're ready to be parents."

"Draco," Harry rubbed his temples as he spoke. "I don't think that's a true test of our readiness to parent. It would be years before our child was ready to go to the zoo. And even then, just because we can manoeuvre around Muggle places does not mean we'll make good parents. Parents stay up all night with a sick child, they heal boo-boos. They change nappies, for Merlin's sakes. And if they're any good at it, they protect and they love." 

Draco waved his hand. "Details. Trust me on this. By the end of today, I'm certain we'll have our answer." 

Harry looked unconvinced, but changed into his jeans and trainers anyway. He joined Draco in the living room to wait for Teddy's arrival. 

"Uncle Harry!" Teddy cried out as he burst from the Floo. He gave Harry an abbreviated hug and then ran and grabbed onto Draco's legs, jumping up and down. "Uncle Draco! Are we really going to the zoo? Gramma 'Dromeda said we were but I told her we never did anything that fun when I stayed here." 

Andromeda followed at a statelier pace from the fireplace. "Teddy," she chastised. "Let loose of Draco's legs, he's not a tree you need to climb." She turned to Harry. "Are you certain you two know what you're doing?" she asked with a grin. "Are you really prepared to take an excited five-year-old to the zoo? It's a bit more challenging than spending a day with your potions, Draco." 

Harry began to answer and Draco immediately silenced him with a look. 

"We'll be fine, Auntie," Draco replied, patting Teddy on the head. He smiled down at the excited child. "Won't we, Champ? Uncle Harry and I can't wait to show you all the animals at the zoo. Right, Uncle Harry?" His expression dared Harry to disagree.

Harry's face pinched in an effort to not roll his eyes. "Why yes, Uncle Draco," he said a bit too cheerily, "I can't wait for this little expedition."

Andromeda chuckled and glanced at Harry. "Well I'll just be on my way and let you gentlemen begin your adventure."

Teddy's nose wrinkled when she kissed him on the top of the head. "Be good for your uncles and stay close to them, all right?"

With a roll of his eyes Teddy nodded at his grandmother and gave her a brief hug around the knees. "I'll be good, I promise." And Andromeda was gone in a flash of green flames.

~~@@~~

The boys Apparated to what looked like an old caretaker's cottage near the car park at the edge of the zoo grounds. After making certain the walk was empty, Harry, Draco and Teddy walked towards the entrance. Teddy skipped ahead, but never further than Harry or Draco could reach out and touch him. Draco gave Harry a smug look as they paid at the entrance and walked inside.

The second they were inside the gate, Teddy screeched and took off running down one of the roads, calling over his shoulder, "I think the snakes and dragons are this way!"

Harry shot Draco a glare and took off at a run after the little boy. Harry kept his eyes on the brightly coloured shirt Andromeda had wisely dressed him in. Harry caught up with Teddy, who had stopped next to a vendor selling large balloons in a rainbow of colours, and knelt down beside the boy. "Do not," he said firmly, clearly out of breath. "Do not ever do that again."

Teddy looked down at the ground, blinking back tears. "I'm sorry, Uncle Harry, I got too 'cited." He sniffed and swiped at his nose with the back of his hand. 

Draco appeared at Teddy's other side and wiped off his hand, then his nose with a handkerchief. "Now, there'll be no crying today. We understand that it's exciting, but you need to stay close by, little man, okay?"

Harry stood and took one of Teddy's hand, while Draco took the other. "Now," Harry said, "let's go see those snakes together. I've not been here since I was a boy a little older than you. I wonder if the python is still in the glass case?"

Teddy's eyes grew wide and he tugged the men along as they entered the Reptile House. They leisurely strolled through the exhibit, Teddy giggling every time Harry spoke Parseltongue under his breath to a snake. Sadly, the Burmese python had been replaced with a very unsocial black mamba who ignored Harry's attempts at conversation.

As they left the reptile house, they wandered down the road to visit the Komodo dragons, the tortoises and the camels. Doubling back, they took time to walk through the new rain forest exhibit where they were amazed to be nearly face to face with armadillo, sloths and tamandua. Watching the tamandua dig in the dirt for bugs with their long snouts made Teddy giggle, and they exited the exhibit in high spirits.

They stood at the exit for a few minutes, looking at the map before deciding to go to the aquarium where they strolled through the three halls, marvelling at the bright coral in the tanks and the various fish. 

"Snake!" Teddy cried out, pointing at an eel slithering among the plants. "Talk to it Uncle Harry!"

Harry looked in the direction of the boy's chubby finger and laughed. "That's not a snake, Teddy, it's an eel."

"Snake," Teddy repeated adamantly. 

Draco shook his head and patted Harry on the back. He spoke under his breath. "Give it up. You have to admit it looks like a snake. Just whisper something to it and leave it."

Harry spoke in Parseltongue to the eel and then explained to Teddy that the _snake_ didn't appear to be in the mood for talking. Teddy shrugged and moved along to the next tank, the eel quickly forgotten.

The group ventured back outside and leisurely walked along the road. Harry's stomach gave an audible growl and he laughed in embarrassment. "Well, sounds like I'm ready for some lunch. Anyone else?"

"I wanna see the monkeys," Teddy said.

"We just saw them," Draco replied. "Inside the rain forest there were all kinds of monkeys. There are several other animals to see."

Teddy stopped and looked up at Draco. "I wanna see the other monkeys," he repeated insistently.

"Other monkeys?" Harry asked.

Teddy's face became animated and under his cap, his hair turned bright red. He bounced on his toes, clapping his hands. "The black and white ones that fly through the air!" His voice was as animated as his face. "They don't need a broom or nuttin'. They swing with their arms, really, really fast. And they walk like this." He raised his arms above his head and wobbled back and forth as he walked.

"Flying monkeys?" Draco said, a smile playing at his lips. "I'm all for that." Harry's stomach growled again in apparent protest. Draco frowned. "But first I think we need to feed Uncle Harry's rumbley tummy."

Teddy's lower lip slid out and his eyes filled with tears. "'m not hungry, I wanna see the monkeys."

"Teddy..." Draco admonished.

Harry placed a hand on Draco's arm. "It's fine. I'll go grab us a snack and you two go save a place for us on the bench by the _flying monkeys_."

Teddy's tears cleared as quickly as they began and he jumped up and down. "Yay!" He grabbed Draco's hand and tugged. "Come on, come on."

Draco shook his head and followed the excited child. "Keep a hold of him," Harry called out to their backs. Draco raised a hand in acknowledgement.

~~@@~~

"Merlin," Harry said, juggling a cardboard box with drinks, sandwiches and some fruit, "I think everyone here decided to eat at the same time." He rested the box on the ledge near Draco. "Where's Teddy?" he asked looking around.

"Cute, Potter," Draco drawled. "He's right..." He turned his head and on seeing the empty spot next to him, his voice trailed off. "He was just here." The colour drained from his face and he gestured helplessly. "We were watching that big monkey walk around." Draco took several steps away from the wall and looked up and down the road. "He was just here!" 

"I told you to hold on to him! How could you let him go?" His face was pale and he looked frantic as he began to hurry around the exhibit calling out Teddy's name and looking at all of the children as he passed. 

"Teddy!" Draco called out. "This isn't funny!"

At that moment a zoo employee walked up to Draco, reaching out and stopping him in his tracks. "Is everything all right, sir?"

"Do I bloody look like everything is all right?" Draco shouted. "My cousin...he's five...he's gone." As he spoke the words, the gravity of the situation hit him and he bent over, hands on his knees as he gasped for air. "He's missing..."

Harry rounded the exhibit in time to see Draco being led to a bench, several people in what appeared to be zoo uniforms gathered around him. The air was thick with tension and they were questioning Draco. When Draco caught sight of Harry he looked up hopefully. His eyes clouded over again when Harry shook his head.

"I'll need a description of the boy," an employee with a name tag that said Arnie in big bold letters said officiously.

"He's about a hundred and fifteen centimetres tall and weighs a bit over four stone. His hair is..." Draco stumbled to a halt. What colour had Teddy's hair been? In the last hour alone, he could think of three.

"...very red," Harry continued for Draco. He stopped next to Draco and rested his hand on Draco's shoulder.

"And you are?" Arnie questioned.

"The missing boy is my godson and this man," he nodded towards Draco, "is my partner."

"I see," Arnie said with a light smirk, shooting an amused look at another employee. 

Harry stepped forward, invading the man's personal space until he took a nervous step back, and looked down at him. "What you need to _see_ is a little less amusement in the fact that we are partners and a little more interest in the whereabouts of this missing child. Do I make myself clear? Because right now nothing would please me more than to pull your small, narrow-minded brain out through your nostrils."

Arnie paled, and shot an unsettled look at Draco.

Draco shrugged. "I'd do what he says. He gets a bit irrational when he's upset."

Arnie gulped and took a moment to compose himself. He finished writing down the description of Teddy and radioed it to all the available employees. "I repeat...we have a lost five year old boy, approximately one hundred fifteen centimetres tall and weighing a bit over eight stone. He has red hair and hazel eyes and is wearing a lime green tee shirt with Shaun the Sheep on the front, jeans and white trainers. He was last seen by the gibbon exhibit approximately twenty minutes ago. Report all information on channel four."

"I'm going to go look for him," Harry said to Draco.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Arnie said cautiously. He raised a hand to stop Harry's protest. "Hear me out. Let's assume that Teddy wandered off on his own. He may ask someone where the monkeys are and if he comes back here, you need to be here."

Draco spoke softly. "It makes sense."

Harry rounded on Draco. "Then you stay here and wait. Maybe you can stop watching the damn monkeys long enough to see **if** he comes back."

Draco visibly flinched before nodding. He turned away from Harry.

"Draco," Harry sighed. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for."

"No," Draco said. "You're right. If I'd have been doing what I was supposed to, I'd have noticed that Teddy had wandered off. This entire situation is my fault." His shoulders slumped dejectedly. "Go, see if you can find him. I'll wait here."

"Draco..."

"Potter, just go." Draco moved to stand near a corner of the exhibit, in front of a bench that gave him a clear view of three roads and most of the area surrounding the exhibit. Harry hesitated for another moment before turning and walking away.

Time dragged and Draco was certain he'd been waiting for hours, however a quick glance at his watch told him that only about twenty five minutes had passed. His gut clenched at the thought of the things that could have happened...be happening to Teddy. He was so lost in his thoughts that he missed the woman who approached his side.

"Excuse me," she said softly, in a voice that reminded him of Luna Lovegood. "Draco Malfoy?"

"Oh gods," Draco said, closing his eyes and sitting down hard on the bench. "Oh gods, what happened? Is it Teddy? Is he...hurt?" he whispered, unable to speak very loud.

The woman touched his arm, then smiled when he looked up at her. "I believe I have something that belongs to you." She pointed to her left and all Draco saw was a blur of brown hair before arms grabbed hard onto his legs. 

"Uncle Draco," Teddy sobbed. "I was so scared." He hiccoughed and sniffled at nearly the same time. 

"Teddy!" Draco cried out, picking the child up and clutching him to his chest. "Where did you go?"

"I didn't mean to get losted," Teddy sobbed. "But I needed the loo and I poked you and you just kept looking at the monkeys. And I had to go really bad and I'm a big boy, I can't pee my pants."

His breath hitched and he buried his face in Draco's neck.

Draco looked up at the woman who had brought Teddy back to him. "I can't thank you enough for returning Teddy to me...us. My partner is out looking for him." He stood abruptly, settling Teddy on his hip. "I need to find Harry...I need a zoo employee." 

"I'll find one for you," the mystery woman said.

"Thank you...miss....I'm sorry," Draco said, tightening his grip on Teddy. "I don't even know your name."

She smiled brightly. "Mahina, Mahina Trouveur. I'll be right back and we can continue with the introductions."

Several minutes passed and then Draco saw Harry weaving through the crowds of zoo visitors as he ran towards them.

He rushed up to Draco and Teddy, crushing them in a tight embrace. "Oh Teddy, Teddy. Are you okay?"

Teddy nodded. 

"What happened?"

Between sniffles and some tears, Teddy recounted his story on how he came to be missing. Draco said very little and Harry knew that he was feeling guilty about the ordeal that Teddy had been through. After reassuring Teddy that he wasn't in any trouble, they wisely called it a day at the zoo. Knowing that they were being watched quite closely, the trio opted to take the tube from the Camden Town Station. The walk to the train was very quiet. Draco was still carrying Teddy, who was currently napping on Draco's shoulder.

~~@@~~

Once they arrived home, Draco settled Teddy in his bed to finish his nap. He kissed the boy on the forehead and left the room before Harry had finished tucking him under the covers.

Harry found Draco in the living room, sitting on the couch with his arms crossed on his chest. Harry stood in the doorway, waiting patiently for Draco to talk.

"Well," Draco began. "I imagine it's a good thing that we did this. Clearly _I'm_ not ready to be a parent. I'm obviously more interested in monkeys than children."

"You know that isn't true," Harry countered, taking a step into the room. "You simply were...distracted."

Draco shot him an arch look. "By bloody monkeys." He shook his head. "Parents can't get distracted." He sat forward and ran his hands over his face. "Gods, when I think of what could have happened."

"But it didn't, Draco. Nothing happened to Teddy, except maybe he learned not to go off on his own in a public place." Harry looked directly at Draco. "And I owe you an apology. I was a right git..."

Draco shook his head. "You didn't say anything I didn't deserve."

Harry grimaced, recalling his words. "Yeah, but I was pretty harsh and I'm sorry."

Harry could see that he wasn't convinced. Draco stood and went to the window, staring outside. Harry went to him, and circled his upper arms with his hands.

"Draco, look at me." Draco turned almost hesitantly to face Harry, and Harry felt another stab of guilt. "Nothing happened," he said emphatically. "Other than I over-reacted and treated you like shite." 

"You didn't over-react," Draco countered. "I knew you'd been right the moment Teddy told me that I'd been so interested in the monkeys that I hadn't noticed he was about to pee his pants. He tried to tell me, Harry..."

"Draco, contrary to what you might think, you aren't super human." Draco huffed and rolled his eyes. Harry responded by running his hands up and down Draco's arms. "Teddy's fine. And I was an arse. I can only hope that when we have children of our own, and I make a right mess of things, you'll forgive me."

Draco blinked and swallowed heavily. "You can't possibly still think we have any business being parents?"

"I do," Harry answered, sounding so certain. "I think we'll be brilliant parents."

"I think you're certifiable."

Harry smiled. "Well, there were people who thought that when I hooked up with you to begin with..."

Draco smacked him smartly on his chest, and Harry just laughed. 

Draco stared at him for a long moment. "You really think we can do this?"

Harry smiled. "I know _you_ can. I saw your face when you realized he was missing. I know how much he matters to you. And I know that our children will matter just as much. Molly Weasley has always said that the key ingredient to parenting is love, and you have that in abundance. I haven't any experience with parenting myself, but... if you'll be patient with me..."

Harry saw joy enter the grey eyes before Draco threw his arms around his neck and hold on tight. "I can do that."

They embraced for a long time before they moved over to the couch. Harry sat first, his back against the arm rest. Draco sat in between his legs, his head resting on Harry's shoulder. After a moment, he shifted so his shoulder was against Harry's chest.

"Maybe we should get a pet?" Draco ventured.

"A pet?" Harry repeated. "Whatever for?"

"I was just thinking, maybe if we had a pet we could practice being parents on something a bit less terrifying than a hyper active five-year-old."

Harry laughed. 

"I'm serious. Maybe we could get a Kneazle."

Harry shook his head. "Let's start with a goldfish. If we can keep that from escaping from its bowl, then we can graduate to something with feet."

Draco grinned. "From there...it should be a simple step to parenthood."

Harry returned the smile. "I'm quite sure you're right."

Draco settled more comfortably against Harry's chest with a self-satisfied smile. "I'm always right."

~Finis~


End file.
